


The Princess Bride

by Sigrid (The_Queen_in_the_East)



Category: Wakfu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amalia and Harebourg will be friends: not lovers, Arranged Marriage, Betrayal, Character Growth, Everything after season 2 is different, Friendship, Love, Plotting, Politics, and possibly saving someone who is in way over their head, basically I wanted an excuse for Amalia and Harebourg to become buddies and scheme lots together, there'll be:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-17 14:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13078359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Queen_in_the_East/pseuds/Sigrid
Summary: When the death of their father makes Amalia and Armand the joint rulers of Sadida Kingdom, it doesn't take long for the two to clash. After a couple of years of battling his sister and being under pressure from not-so-friendly neighbours, Armand gladly accepts the offer of an alliance from Frigost... and with it, sees the solution to his Amalia-problems. All he needs to do is add one more condition to the treaty: a marriage to seal the deal. That and make sure Amalia doesn't find out what he did... at least until after the wedding. Anyway, there's not much she can do to get back at him when she's hundreds of miles away in Frigost... right?Meanwhile, Harebourg is having troubles of his own as he tries to juggle his ambitions within the Brotherhood of the Forgotten and his obligations to the flourishing, but vulnerable new settlement on Frigost. At least Djaul hasn't shown up to wreck it all... yet (and that 'yet' is starting to weigh on the Count's already slightly-fragile mental health).Neither Harebourg nor Amalia asked for this marriage, but could it be exactly what they need?[Diverges from canon after S2; story is set several years after S2.]





	1. An opportunity presents itself.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the title, I literally could not stop myself.

In the midst of Sadida Kingdom, Armand had just been presented with an opportunity that he’d been dreaming of. The question was… was he bold enough to take it? Absently, he ran his fingers through his beard as he read over the letter for the third time.  
  
“ _To their Royal Highnesses, Armand and Amalia,_  
  
_I’m pleased to say that our new courier is much more reliable and thus your letter reached me without the usual complications. It brings me great joy to read that the Sadida Kingdom is willing to enter an alliance with Frigost! I truly believe this will be of great benefit to both our states, as well as a wonderful opportunity for friendship between our people. Please find accompanying my letter Frigost’s draft of the treaty, based on what we’ve discussed. I hope it is acceptable to you both. ___  
  
_With sincerity and the warmest regards,_  
_Count Jacquemart Astron Harebourg_ ”  
  
Beneath the letter was the treaty draft, all undersigned by the Frigostian government members. It didn’t surprise Armand to see that it too was written up in Harebourg’s elegant, but slightly wild handwriting. The Count, whilst not officially a member of Frigost’s council, always seemed to be the one pulling the strings.  
  
The treaty draft contained details on trade deals, information exchange, talk of ambassadors, and so on. A good part of it was taken up with addressing Frigost’s and Sadida’s mutual worries over their opportunistic neighbours, all of which Armand approved with only some minor changes. The Count had slipped in a few little grain trade concessions in Frigost’s favour, likely testing to see what would pass, but Armand was inclined to let him have them. Frigost needed the grain and Armand needed Harebourg’s goodwill if Sadida Kingdom was to get access to the kind of magic-tech he hoped he’d be able to acquire from the xelor.  
  
This though, is where Armand’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came up: there was one more condition Armand wanted to add to the treaty… a marriage to seal the deal. One between the Frigostian nobility and the royal house of Sadida.  
A marriage between Amalia and Harebourg.  
  
Armand went to his writing desk and dipped his pen in ink, letting it hover over the page. All he had to do was write a few lines and his plan would be in motion...  
…but gnawing guilt stayed his hand.  
Sighing heavily, Armand flung down his pen and got to his feet, rubbing his face. Why was this so difficult? Yes, as Amalia’s brother, he’d do anything for her… but as king, he had more than Amalia’s welfare to consider. Ever since the death of their father, the kingdom had been vulnerable. Sadida’s neighbours saw the kingdom as politically weakened and divided. An easy target.  
And they were right: Amalia too often rushed off to join Yugo in whatever new danger the eliatrope had brought upon everyone, rather than staying to govern her people (just like she was off doing now, Armand thought bitterly). It would be alright if she were mostly away, but she was present often enough to argue with Armand and contradict many of his decisions. Too often, this led to a rift: the people loved Amalia… but the council followed Armand. This meant the government was divided and this was not the key to a secure future for Sadida’s people. For Armand, this was the most frustrating part: he knew Amalia loved her people and he had talked to her about how important it was that they be united, especially after the death of their father. He knew it was hard for her without him (it was hard for him too, though he tried not to show it), but the other nations were all watching for any sign of weakness. They had to be strong and dedicated… not go running off into eliatrope drama and then come back home just in time to turn the council upside down. But did she listen? No. Of course not. She was Amalia.  
  
Armand’s wife, Orisia, had had the clever idea of marrying her off to a suitable prince, but of course Amalia was completely disinterested in any of them.  
Feh. Armand scoffed and rolled his eyes. She was turning twenty-one at the end of the year: most princes and princesses would be on the lookout for a suitor. But not Amalia. She was too busy adventuring with the Brotherhood of the Tofu. Armand had wondered if perhaps Amalia’s interest in Yugo was serious enough to put her off any other suitors, but Orisia had said that she was not convinced and thought Amalia was just refusing marriage to be contrary.  
Privately, Armand agreed.  
So, as Amalia refused to do her duty to her people (or at the very least, stay out of the way), Armand saw it fell to him to take action. Marrying Amalia off to Harebourg was a pretty good solution, the way he saw it: it cemented an important treaty, Harebourg seemed like a very pleasant person and hopefully would a good match for Amalia, but most importantly: Frigost was faaaar away from Sadida Kingdom. Amalia would not be able to meddle from there, leaving Armand free to rule.  
Yes. His personal feelings aside, Armand told himself this was the right decision as a king. He tried to keep that thought squarely holding back his guilt as he wrote his reply to Harebourg, informing the Count that Sadida kingdom had one extra condition to include before they could accept the treaty…  
  
                                                              -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The plan was simple: Amalia must not find out Armand had arranged this or she’d refuse the marriage.  
So, he’d simply made it Harebourg’s idea.  
This was easily accomplished by rewriting the Count’s draft of the treaty, but this time with the condition that the treaty must be sealed by a marriage between the highest houses of Frigost and Sadida. Then, he’d destroy the original copy of the treaty to hide the evidence. When Amalia finally got back from wherever she was, Armand would inform her of what “Frigost” had decided. Part two of the plan was to write a letter to Harebourg saying that Armand accepted the treaty… but with one extra condition: there must be a marriage. Harebourg would be forced to accept or risk causing grave offence to Sadida Kingdom (it was never wise to reject a princess) and Frigost needed this alliance too much to do that.  
  
And that was it. Settled.  
Harebourg and the Frigostian government would sign, and so would Armand and his council, and then it’d be time to plan the wedding.  
  
It was a brilliant plan and Armand just hoped if his father’s spirit was watching, he could forgive him for carrying it out.


	2. No Good Scheme Goes Unpunished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armand's revised version of the treaty reaches Frigost...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I picture the town of Frigost and the Count himself as being a mix of their appearances in the Dofus and Wakfu games, and the cartoon. I suppose I draw most heavily from Dofus, but I'll give more details as they become relevant (though, feel free to make your own interpretations, of course :) ).
> 
> Your comments and kudos are most appreciated. ^_^

“Boss! Boosss!” Sylargh clattered through the halls of Harebourg’s castle, two spanners threatening to fall out of his pockets as he ran with correspondence from Sadida Kingdom in hand. He skidded to a halt outside of the open door to the Count’s office. “Letter back from Sadida!”  
“Ah! Excellent!” Harebourg folded away the newspaper from the mainland he was reading and gestured for Sylargh to take a seat. The imp used the small step that Harebourg left by the desk especially for him to boost himself into the high-backed chair that faced the Count.  
“Do you think it’s about the alliance, boss?” Sylargh asked once he’d made it onto the seat, holding out the heavily sealed envelope for Harebourg to inspect. Harebourg took it and started to carefully examine the seals for any signs of tampering. Satisfied that they were intact and not sensing any malicious spells beneath them, he started to break them open.  
“I’m sure it is”, he replied cordially, in a good mood. He loved it when his plans came together.  
“Do you think they-” Sylargh started excitedly to ask another question, but Harebourg cut him off with a smile.  
“How about you read it out to me.” He passed the letter to Sylargh: Harebourg was already sure of the contents of the treaty (he felt he’d made an astute judge of Armand’s motivations and that there would be few surprises), but to Sylargh the letter held much more suspense.  
Gleefully, the imp started to read out the letter. “Warmest salutations to… blah, blah, blah. Lots of small talk and boring stuff… ha! He’s asked about the weather: obviously, it’s cold, you cabbage.”  
Harebourg leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea with an amused smirk on his face as Sylargh read out his interpretation of the letter. It was always an interesting experience…  
“…more mushy stuff about the treaty ‘bringing our people together’… blah, blah- ok! Here’s the important bit!” Sylargh cleared his throat, scanning the letter quickly. “They’ve said yes to the intelligence sharing and to the stuff with the army.” He looked up at Harebourg for his reaction.  
“As I knew they would”, Harebourg nodded, all patrician smugness. “Continue.”  
Sylargh grinned. “Also agreed to the Taroudium trade deals… small alteration to the proposed figures.”  
Harebourg looked up sharply at that. “How much?”  
“5% drop, boss.”  
Harebourg snorted over his tea. “Fine. Did we get the grain?”  
“That extra stuffed you slipped in? Uhh…” Sylargh scanned the letter. “Yep!” he said brightly. “Did you think they’d accept?”  
Harebourg shrugged one shoulder languidly, taking another sip of his tea. “No, but I thought it was likely enough to be worth a try… Sadida’s army is strong but old fashioned. Armand will want the magi-tech we produce to arm them and so it’s in their interests to butter us up a bit.” It was also possible it’d been granted partly out of kindness, but Harebourg wouldn’t bank on it.  
  
Sylargh nodded, pleased, and continued to read out the various conditions of the treaty. Harebourg sipped his tea, nodding on occasion if Sylargh looked to him for confirmation, but otherwise just enjoyed the fruits of his labour. This treaty had been the result of months of carefully directing the council and years of gathering intelligence... and at long last, it had all come together. Sadida would be a valuable ally for Frigost. His little island had wealth, but no army of its own (a fact not unnoticed by local pirates or more troublingly, Brakmar). Amakna protected them, but that was partly because it was in their best interests to not let Brakmar gain the territory. However, there was always the threat of Amakna deciding to impose high tariffs on Frigostian exports, now that they were becoming valuable. This would no longer be an issue with Sadida as a trading partner.  
“…yes to the stuff about the ores, yes to the furs... yes to the ambassador and then there’s a bunch of boring stuff about that which I can’t be bothered to read out…”  
Harebourg rolled his eye good humouredly at this. He’d read it all properly after Sylargh was done.  
“…ugh, more diplomatic stuff. This part goes on for ages: securing the treaty with a lasting gesture of friendship, blah, blah… it just goes on and on and onnnn with no point at- oh.” Sylargh stopped and looked up from the letter, brow furrowed. “Um, boss?”  
Harebourg raised one eyebrow enquiringly as he drank his tea.  
Sylargh looked down at the paper and back up at Harebourg. “Err, it says here they want you to get _married_.”  
Sylargh jumped, startled, as Harebourg suddenly choked violently on his tea.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once he’d recovered from the shock of the extra condition and had confirmed it hadn’t been a prank of Sylargh’s (then resisted the urge to indulge in hysterical laughter or go scream from the top of his tower), Harebourg poured his resources into trying to think his way out of the situation. 

He paced the top of his tower, his boots following a well-worn path where the stone was smooth from literal centuries of Harebourg tracing these exact steps. Eventually, he stopped and looked out over the parapets to the port and town. His conclusion: there were many potential ways out… but all of them would pose a high risk to the alliance. This he could not allow. He had even briefly considered asking Lady Echo to pose as his lover, as a means of politely declining the marriage, but quickly dismissed it as too transparent: to produce a mistress now would be too suspicious (and he didn’t really want to involve any of the Others anyway). 

Whilst it was very true he did not want to get married, Harebourg could also see that accepting the proposal was his and Frigost’s best option. He owed it to his little island (now there was a daunting debt) and besides, having a wife who was a member of the royal family should be useful, politically speaking. It could open a lot of doors, both for Frigost and his own personal ambitions. Really, if he was being forced into a marriage, he could do worse than end up with a princess…  
Harebourg sighed and blew a snowflake off of his gloves. Advantages of the marriage aside, he didn’t feel much better about it.  
“I should just say I’m gay”, he said sardonically to the silently falling snow. It’s not like anyone would be able to prove he was lying.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three hours later (a lot of time had been lost to staring at nothing from the top of his tower, caught in his own thoughts), Harebourg presented himself at the Council chambers to share the news.  
“But I don’t understand... they accepted the treaty. I thought you’d be happier, dear Count! This success was largely thanks to you, after all”, Mayor Odeill was saying. The other councillors nodded and murmured their agreement.  
_‘Don’t remind me’_ , Harebourg thought bitterly (why was it that he never got a chance to savour a plan gone well? It seemed there was always a sting somewhere…). With an oceanic calm that hid his inner thoughts, he answered the mayor: “I am of course delighted that Sadida Kingdom has formally accepted our offer of friendship. My pensiveness stems from the final condition of the treaty, which affects me on personal level…”  
The council members exchanged confused and worried looks as Harebourg passed the treaty to the mayor to read.  
It didn’t take long.  
“They want you to get _married_? To the _princess?!_ ” the mayor exclaimed in disbelief. The council chambers erupted into a chorus of raised voices and jostling elbows as everyone tried to see the treaty at once.

Harebourg just stepped back to let them fight it out and sighed heavily. He could already feel a headache coming on and it was going to take forever to calm the council now that they’d gotten themselves into a tizzy. He rubbed the edges of the scars around his mechanical eye as he sorted through the next steps in his mind.  
Today was going to be a long day.  
“No good scheme goes unpunished…” he murmured to himself as the councillors started to gather around him like geese, all wanting to know the answer to the burning question: would he agree to the marriage?


End file.
